He anticipates the city will receive the request for proposals on Wednesday, Jan. 23, the final day they will be accepted.

"This is normal that they'd come in on the last day," DeJong said Monday, Jan. 14.

The city purchased the grain elevator and its property, at 540 County Road, in mid-November and city officials are looking for a developer to partner in stabilizing, rehabilitating and redeveloping the historic structure.

Louisville grain elevator.
(Kimberli Turner/Colorado Hometown Weekly)

DeJong said he has given three tours of the property to interested developers over the last few weeks and he is "encouraged" by that.

This RFP process marks round two for the grain elevator.

The city requested proposals for the project and received two last May -- they came from Michael Kranzdorf, president of Boulder-based Amterre Property Group LLC, and Louisville architect Erik Hartronft, and also from Louisville resident Steve Poppitz, a former member of the Louisville Historic Preservation Commission.

A deal with Amterre for the property's redevelopment fell through last summer.

DeJong said he's talked about the current request with Kranzdorf and Poppitz, and hopes to see proposals from them again, as well as from other individuals.

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While staff will explore every proposal brought before them, DeJong said RFPs that include commercial would be looked upon "favorably" to help contribute to the success of Downtown Louisville.

"The Council is very interested in preserving the grain elevator and bringing the property back to a commercial (use)," he said.

But retail was not a requirement outlined in the request because staff did not want to limit creativity and, the bottom line is preserving the structure, DeJong said.

Ideas that were born from residents at a public meeting late last year included an antiques mall, a museum, a bakery, a conference center and children's activity center, among others.

Depending on the number of proposals the city receives, DeJong might form a citizen's committee to review the RPFs next month.

He anticipates providing the preservation commission and the Louisville City Council with a recommendation for the project in March.

The item has not been slated for a specific agenda yet and, if the city needs to conduct interviews with prospective developers, the timeframe could be extended.

DeJong said that time is valuable in choosing the best recommendation for the structure.

"This is a great example of a process in getting a quality development," that residents, council members and staff desire, he said.